What's Done is Done
by Althea M
Summary: S2, A/U, a 'What if' Character 'death', one-shot


What's Done is Done

By Althea M

S2, A/U, a 'What if' Character 'death'

Rick found Lori writhing on the tent floor, after returning with Shane from a personally disastrous attempt to release Randall away from the Greene farm. She was working hard to contain the agony she was in, breathing deeply, teeth clenched on a rolled up sock, but she was losing control.

In a panic, Rick dropped down beside her, "Lori! Lori, what's the matter?!"

Rick searched her body for cuts, bites, scratches, hoping and praying he wouldn't find anything to suggest she'd had an encounter with one of the dead.

Finally, Rick hoisted Lori up to her feet. That's when he saw the dark stain spreading in the crotch of her jeans. She nearly doubled over again. Rick supported her through the tent flap where she promptly collapsed to her knees.

"Lori!", he rasped.

Rick muscled her up from the ground and got one arm behind her back and got the other behind her knees, and, reminiscent of when Carl had been shot, moved as quickly as possible to the Greene house, which , gratefully, wasn't nearly as far a run from the tent as it had been from the woods.

Maggie and Glenn were sitting on the porch. Maggie spotted Rick as he approached.

"What is it?", Maggie called.

"She's hurt, bleeding," Rick called back, " ...I don't know. Where's yer father?"

That alerted the entire Atlanta group. Maggie glanced at Glenn, then left him standing on the porch, gaping. He leaped to grab the screen door so Rick could sidle through with his cargo.

Rick went to the room he was all too familiar with. Beth was more lucid today and moved the spreads out of the way and Rick laid Lori down. She continued to gasp and moan, clutching at her abdomen.

"Lori, ...?"

Hershel Greene entered the room, drying his hands on a towel. "Give me some room, Rick". He gently palpated Lori's abdomen, noting her responses. He had not missed the bloody jeans.

"Rick, I'm going to have to ask you to step out for a bit."

"She's my wife."

"I know that, but I want to give her a bit of privacy while I do a further examination. Maggie will be here to assist me." Neither man noticed Maggie balk.

"Lori?", Rick queried. Just then, Lori was gripped by another spasm and all she could do was push against Rick's shoulder. Rick glanced at Hershel then stood up and left the room.

When Rick stepped outside, Shane was waiting at the bottom of the steps.

"What happened?" Shane asked, half expecting the man to ignore him, given their previous altercation.

"I don't know." Rick replied, almost automatically. This man had been like a brother to him for many years. "I went to the tent, she was on the floor in a lot of pain,…and bleeding."

"Bleeding?", shock in Shane's voice.

"Yeah, I thought she'd been bit, but…I think it's something else."

"What's Hershel say?" Shane pressed.

"Nothing yet", stepping off the porch, "He needs to examine her." Rick needed to move, just pacing there was going to make him crazy. He headed off toward their tent, raking his hands through his hair. When he entered the tent it took a moment for his eyes to again adjust. There was a stain on the floor, where he'd found her. He didn't know how long she had been lying there. He needed to do something; cleaning that up would keep him occupied. He went to the bag reserved for the dirty laundry and pulled out an old t-shirt. He grabbed a bottle of water and started cleaning up the floor.

After a few minutes he felt satisfied with what he'd accomplished, although he was sure Lori would find the effort flawed. He shook his head at the thought. He balled the shirt up and stuffed it back into the laundry bag. That was when his hand scrapped against something not cloth. Jeans are coarse, but plastic, as with a blister pack, felt different, even if you could not see it.

Rick pulled two blister packs from the laundry bag. Each pack at one time, held four pills. A total of eight pills were missing. He flipped the packs over and read the drug named but still didn't know what it was, but it was not the norm to take eight of anything and expect good results. He left the tent, empty blisters in hand and headed back to the house.

Shane intercepted him, asking, "What's going on, Rick?"

Rick didn't look at him, continuing to the house. This might be important and Hershel needed to know.

"I still don't know, Shane. I just have to see Hershel.", Rick replied, holding on to his fraying patience.

"What is that?", Shane pressed.

This time Rick stopped, head tilting, eyeing Shane. "Again, I don't know. I just need to see Hershel."

"Let me see.", said Shane, reaching for what was in Rick's hand, but Rick batted Shane's hand away and continued on, saying, "Later."

Rick took the steps two at a time. He opened the door where Lori was now under a sheet, wearing only a t-shirt. Lori was still in extreme pain. The smell in the closed room was that of sweat, blood, and vomit. Rick's eyes darted about.

"Daddy had me get her out of her things and into something more comfortable."

"Where's Hershel?"

"He stepped away for a bit. Let me get him."

"I found these ," reaching the blister packs toward her. Maggie glanced at them.

"I'll get Daddy." At that moment Hershel stepped back into the room. Without preamble, Hershel said, "Rick, your wife is having a miscarriage. I'm sorry."

Rick looked at his wife, "I didn't know.", and sat heavily in the chair beside the bed. Then, he seemed to recall why he was there.

"What are these for?" Hershel took the blister packs and examined them. He looked at Lori, then Rick. Then to his daughter, "Maggie, may we have some privacy, please." his gentle way of saying, 'Get out'. She murmured a 'Yes, daddy' and closed the door behind her.

"Where did you find these, Rick?"

"What are they?"

"Just answer the question, please."

"I-I found them in our dirty laundry bag. I had used a dirty t-shirt to clean up th-the mess, the b-blood, on the tent floor. I found them when I was putting it back into the bag."

Hershel was quiet for a moment. "This drug has many uses", he said.

"But if she took eight of them, that has to be bad, right?"

"It can make things…certain."

Rick looked at him confused.

"I don't know why these were in your tent, but, it can be used to terminate a pregnancy, among other things. In this quantity, that was apparently the goal."

"She-she…Lori?"

"Your wife isn't finished. It may be a little while before she'll be able to hold a conversation. Let her get through this and then rest. You can stay here with her, if you like."

Rick's expression had become calculating, "I have to talk to someone." He rose from his chair and after taking another look at his wife, who was racked by another spasm of pain, he eased out of the room and closed the door.

When he returned to the porch, there was Shane.

"How is she? What's wrong?" But Rick just raised his hand as he scanned to area between the house and where his group was set up. Then he panned to his left and there he was. Glenn sat on the edge of the bench, his elbows resting on his knees, ringing his hat between his hands. Glenn had seen Rick step out onto the porch, but now, he felt Rick's laser focus on him. Rick came around the screen toward him. Glenn's eyes grew large and he stood up. His impulse was to go over the rail, but where would he go? And he didn't really know why Rick was coming toward him.

"You're the only one who could have gotten them for her." Rick's voice was low and menacing. The 'them' and 'her' made things clear. Glenn's jaw jackhammered as Rick invaded his space.

"I-I-what?", Glenn stammered.

"Those pills or whatever they were. You went into town and got them, didn't you?" The man was angry.

"Rick, I-I," Glenn stuttered, trying to form an answer that would not anger the man further.

"Leave him alone." Maggie spoke from a nearby open window. Glenn tried to signal her not to get involved. If this was going to go badly, he'd be a man about it. But she had Rick's attention.

"What do you know about it?"

"I know your wife gave him a note to pick 'something' up from the pharmacy. I know he didn't tell me what it was before we got there. I know he didn't even know what it was. I know I almost died 'cause one of those things had gotten into the pharmacy. I know Glenn brought back prenatal vitamins for her, but I guess she didn't take any. That's what I know about it." Glenn slumped.

"Prenatal vitamins?" Shane whispered. During Maggie's tirade, Shane had pulled up close to the railing and was looking up at Rick. With the exception of Carol, who kept to herself in the RV, Daryl, who was likely close to or in the woods, and, amazingly, Carl, who could have been anywhere at any moment, the other adult Atlanta group members were there, Andrea, T-dog, and Dale, who had taken a minute break before heading back to keep watch.

"She's pregnant?" It was said with just a breath of wonder by Shane and shrill shock by Dale.

"No, she's not pregnant, Shane," Rick snapped. "She's having a miscarriage."

"An abortion," Maggie said as she walked from the window.

"Maggie!" Glenn hissed, but she'd already dropped the bomb and left the room.

Shane's mouth hung open like it was the only way he was going to get air, the word ricocheting around in his mind, 'abortion'.

"Why?" Rick asked no one as he raked his hands through his hair again.

"Why?" Shane echoed. "Why?!" Because she realized you didn't have what it took to keep her and Carl safe. How were you going to keep the four of you safe? A baby safe? You wouldn't make those hard decisions that would keep our group safe. Like I would have."

Rick's head tipped to the side and he stared at Shane.

"I would have taken care of them. She didn't have to do this. But know this. She is my wife. Carl is my son. I will take care of them, Shane."

"Yeah, you will. That's why there's a baby being flushed."

Rick was over the rail in a blink. He couldn't pummel Lori for her actions. He wouldn't do that, but she was suffering punishment for the moment. But Rick had not been naïve nor blind. Things happened. He was an adult, he understood that. But the reality was, he was back in the picture and he had not determined to surrender his wife, the mother of his child, to the man who had been his partner and 'brother in arms'. But at this moment, they were two strangers, and the elimination of one was what the other wanted.

"Guys! Guys! No, stop! Guys!" No one paid attention to Peacemaker Glenn, even though Glenn was secretly glad neither of those men had turned their full ire on him. Hershel stepped out on the porch and called for order. Finally, T-dog stepped up and, getting between them, pushed them apart until they could not reach each other to make contact, giving each a chance to breathe.

"Enough. Rick, I'm sorry for your loss", and he cast a look at Shane, silently sharing the sentiment with him, "but she made this decision, for whatever reason. Maybe it was a good reason, maybe not, but it was hers. You don't have to like it, but you're going to have to respect it, because, what's done is done." When it looked like the two men were no longer going to go for each other's throats, T-dog stepped away.

The next morning Maggie went to the Grimes tent and slapped on the flap. Rick unzipped it and peered up at who was there. It was apparent he had not slept.

"I need to get some fresh clothes for your wife. Daddy is releasing her." Rick didn't say anything, turning back into the tent and a few moments later, handing out a fresh set of clothing; pants, t-shirt, bra, panties, and socks, all in a neat stack.

"Are you comin'?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah," Rick said tiredly.

Maggie left without waiting for him. In the house, Maggie tapped lightly on the door before opening it. The bed was empty and the linen stripped. She gave her father a questioning look.

"I sent her up to clean up.", he murmured.

Maggie took the clothes up to the bathroom, again tapping on the door. The water was running so she slowly opened the door and placed the clothes on the toilet and retreated.

A few minutes later, Lori gingerly descended the stairs, hair still damp, but fresh and cleanly attired. Hershel met her at the bottom of the stairs and led her back into her sick room, closing both doors. Turning to her, "You're going to have to rest for a day or so. Your body has been through a lot in a short amount of time. You should be fine in a few days."

"Alright, thank you.", she replied, softly.

"Rick found the packs the pills were in." He let that sink in. Slowly she made eye contact.

"Alright", she said softly.

"I don't know your relationships, but Rick and Shane tried to kill each other out there."

Lori looked at him, shocked.

"Take things slowly. There are apparently conversations to be had." Lori wondered if he was talking strictly physically or if he was talking emotionally as well.

"Alright", she said softly. Then Hershel opened the door and she went out through the parlor and out the screen door to the porch.

Glenn stood pensively on the porch to her left against the railing. He looked like he wanted to run, but she couldn't determine if it was to run to her or away from her.

Rick and Shane were in the yard. They were each about three feet from the end of the steps but they were almost ten feet apart from each other. She looked at each in turn, first Rick, then Shane, they stared back at her, expressions neutral. Then she started down the steps. As luck would have it, weak as she was, she didn't clear the first step and she stumbled. Glenn shifted toward her. But, she caught herself and waved a hand for Glenn that she was alright. But, when she looked up, she saw that neither Shane nor Rick had moved toward her.

Andrea came up behind her and taking her arm, supported her down the remaining steps. Then, putting an arm around her waist, led her to the RV. Dale was there, squinting at her, in that way he did, until she got closer, then, he simply stepped aside, not meeting her eye, telling Andrea to help her get settled. He then climbed up on the RV roof to again act as lookout coming down only for water and the occasional break.

A few days later, Randall got away, the herd came through, Shane didn't make it, along with some others from the Greene farm, Andrea was lost, the barn burned. The survivors met at the car where they had set up supplies for Sophia, who didn't survive being lost.

Winter came, and was hard, but Rick made his focus keeping Carl safe and if to do that it meant keeping Carl's mother safe, then that's what he would do. Rick would channel his needs into survival. Carl would be an only child.

A/N: Season 2 is my favorite. I like the budding romance between Glenn and Maggie and enjoyed his character growth. But I suddenly had this story nag me, a 'what if', what if Lori had been successful in terminating her pregnancy. So, here it is.


End file.
